In today's entertainment society, mastering the image means mastering video. It's a complex skill that can't be improvised, and using the right tools is essential.
Communication and digital marketing strategies necessarily involve the production and distribution of audiovisual content. This requires the use of specific tools: video editing software.
A crucial stage in the production of a film, video editing brings together, arranges and gives meaning to the various visual and sound elements shot or created beforehand. The range of editing software on offer is therefore vast. Audrey Guillermo, an expert in framing and editing, has compiled a list of tools chosen for their reliability and popularity in the field of corporate video.
1 - Adobe Premiere Pro - king of the world!
Premiere pro is, according to its publisher, the most widely used video editing software in all areas of the audiovisual industry. Exact figures have not been released, but the software is ubiquitous in productions of all sizes. In addition, the very high demand for Premiere Pro training in recent years confirms this observation.
Premiere Pro is integrated into the Creative Cloud suite and works with Photoshop for graphics and After Effects for motion design and special effects.
Functionality
The software is very comprehensive and versatile: editing, audio mixing, titling, effects, simple animated graphics, subtitling, colour grading, etc. Successive updates have added numerous functions that are ancillary to the editing itself, making it possible to perform all the necessary tasks without leaving the software.
The interface and software are constantly being improved, but remain a little complex for novices. But you can count on Premiere's vast community of users and resources of all kinds: tutorials, online help, training courses, etc. are plentiful. A wealth of external content (plug-ins, titling templates, transitions, etc.) available on the web complements Premiere's functions and makes the creative process even more efficient.
The choice of Premiere Pro was therefore an obvious one. for professionals already working in the Adobe microcosm, and a serious option for anyone wanting access to a wide range of tools for producing quality videos.
Remarks :
- This software requires a computer (Mac or Windows) powerful enough to operate smoothly.
- It is part of a monthly subscription system for the Adobe suite: €59.99/month for individuals and €69.99/month for the team version.
2 - Da Vinci Resolve - the challenger
Resolve is the direct competitor to Premiere Pro, and it has one striking argument: it's (partly) free! Most of its functions are available free of charge and there is a more advanced 'studio' version (€255).
Functionality
The software is compatible with all platforms: Mac, Windows and Linux. As long as you're working on a sufficiently powerful machine, it's considered to be compatible with all platforms. faster and more stable than Premiere Pro.
Developed by Blackmagic designResolve can be accompanied by accessories that make editing easier, such as keyboards, colour-grading panels and audio consoles. The software is aimed at post-production professionals for cinema and television. It is therefore very comprehensive, offering advanced tools for editing, titling, colour grading, audio mixing and special effects.
Its complex system, combined with its wide range of functions, means that it takes some real learning to get to grips with. Less present in the field of corporate video, the difficulty of switching from the Resolve environment to the software in the Adobe suite should be taken into account before choosing this option.
3 - Final Cut Pro X - the outsider
For a long time the software most used by post-production studios, it has been in decline for the last fifteen years in the face of competition from Adobe, Resolve and Avid.
Final Cut remains a very attractive option for Mac users. Fully integrated into the Apple environment, it offers an ergonomic interface and easy-to-use tools. The user experience is very fluid, once you get to grips with the software's specific logic.
Functionality
Its basic tools are fairly intuitive, but it hides advanced functions equivalent to the first two on the list. Its dynamic timeline makes editing very quick. It also incorporates effects, transitions and predefined titles that allow users to personalise their videos easily and qualitatively. Very effective for traditional editing, effects and titling, it becomes more limited when you need to go further in adding graphic skins, title animations or special effects.
The choice of Final Cut will therefore suit Mac who want to create videos efficiently in a familiar environment.
Purchase of the software from the Apple Store: €299.99 (one-off purchase giving access to all updates).
4 - Adobe Premiere Rush - the new kid on the block
Launched in 2018 by Adobe, Premiere Rush is a (very) lightweight version of Premiere Pro.
Functionality
This software offers a simple, fluid user experience thanks to a perfectly legible, ergonomic interface. Help bubbles explaining the function of each tool can be activated as and when required.
All the basic editing tools are there, plus a number of effects and transitions, plus a wide choice of title templates for graphically dressing up your creations. Exports and encoding are preset for web distribution.
A valuable advantage: portability
Premiere Rush stands out for its ease of use, both on the computer and on a mobile version for Android and iOS, enabling projects created by the connected user to be synchronised. What's more, if more advanced features are needed to finalise the edit, it can be opened in Premiere Pro.
This small, fun, high-performance software package is therefore an ideal solution for occasional use. It can be a first approach to editing for professionals (communication officers, community managers, graphic designers, etc.) who want to create simple video content without spending too much time on it.
Creative Cloud Express monthly subscription €11.99 (Premiere Rush and Photoshop Express, 100GB cloud storage).
For the software mentioned above, we recommend the fastest processors, maximum RAM (minimum 16GB) and, if possible, a recent graphics card. The system, applications and media should preferably be stored on SSD disks to ensure fast access to data.
5 - Online and mobile solutions - a real or false good idea?
The need to create video content affects all areas of activity. As a result, the types of video produced for the web and social networks are extremely diverse. These very short videos need to be produced quickly and in an attractive format that will encourage distracted viewers to pay attention to the content for more than a few seconds.
To meet this creative challenge, professionals new to video editing may be tempted to turn to online platforms and mobile applications offering ready-to-use solutions for creating all kinds of graphic and video content.
The most popular of these platforms is the Canva site, well known to community managers. Others include Powtoon for turnkey motion design, and French start-up PlayPlay. When it comes to mobile applications, there's an abundance to choose from, and the best and the worst can be found side by side on the stores.
In addition to Adobe Rush, which is available in a mobile version, the other most popular applications are : Filmora Go, PowerDirector, Quick (GoPro) and finally Inshot aimed primarily at TikTok users.
However, this is not the case, assembly work consisting of a repetition of more or less complex actions and manipulationsIn addition, the fact that touch interaction takes place on a (small) phone screen and the simplified ergonomics of the interfaces are likely to rapidly become a major constraint on the creation of this type of application.
Subscription-based web platforms offer a particularly effective solution for very short content, "one-off videos" (quickly and easily created, quickly forgotten), to provide regular content for social networks. Thanks to a principle of templates, which users can adapt to a greater or lesser extent to their content, they make production accessible to everyone, with little technical knowledge required. However, the limits of these proposals are quickly reached if the user wishes to increase the level of personalisation of the content, in order to respect a defined visual identity for example.
Remarks :
- Many mobile editing applications are free or very affordable.
Subscriptions to video creation platforms: free and paid versions ranging from around €10 to €500 per month (very diverse services).
Training courses : Making videos for the web ; Making a video with an Android smartphone ; Making a video with an iPhone or iPad
Finally, online and mobile solutions are emerging as complementary tools to video editing software, opening up the way to faster creative processes that follow the visual and aesthetic trends of the moment.
It is worthwhile for anyone practising video editing to consider them as sources of inspiration. They will then be a starting point for developing content that is attractive and innovative, but also unique and personalised, whatever the tool chosen to produce it.
